Automobile lock



25, 1930- G. JACOBS ET AL 1,748,350

AUTOMOBILE LOCK I Filed June 29. 1925 ATTORNEY.

' Patented Feb. 25, 19 30 f fT u*1\ 1rrrnfis'mrrs" PATENT OFFICE gnomeancorsfor niirnorr, AND BENJAMIN H. KAUFMANN, or HIGHLAND BARK,

' moment a AUTOMOBILE LOCK 7 Application filed. .Tune 29," 1925. SerialNo. 40,418.

The present invention relates to motor ves hiclelclocksand, especiallyto looks which are automatically operative to lock the carwithouttheirjpositive actuation bythedriver. I

Among the objects, of the invention is a lock for one offthe devicesused incontrollmg V a carwhich lock is inoperative so longas the driverremains in his'seat but becomes operative upon his leaving his seat.

o 1 qAnother} object is a lockof the type mentioned which has a delayedaction. 1

-,Other objects will readily appear to those skilled inthe art byreference to the follow- .ing description and drawings, in which simi-Ian reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the severalfigures of the drawings, and in which: 7 3 Fig.1 is a horizontal sectionof the lock taken on line 1- -1 of Fig. 2.

I ,Fig. 2' is a vertical section line,2-- 2 of Fig. 1. s Fig. 3 i sadiagrammatic view of an auto- ;mobile seat and steering wheel showingthe 1 electric connections. I

of the lock on 26 Fig.4 is a partial View from the right of Fig.2showing the relation of the loclnng ,bolt and cylinder.

;In the drawings, the device is illustrated asoperating in connectionwith the steering 7 30' wheel and head 'ofa "Fordautom obile, al-

though itcan without material change be c adapted :to operate inconnection with other. control elementsof this' makeof automobile or anyother make.

"As illustrated, 10 indicates the shaft upon V which is mounted thesteering wheel 11, shaft 10, in the form shown, operating, throughreduction gearing 12, the steering shaft 13. The reduction gearing 12 isenclosed in a housing 14 carrying bushing" 15'for shaft 10, and'overhousing l lis secured a second housing 16 for the locking mechanism. I

The locking mechanism proper consists of a bolt 20 adapted to slidethrough registering'slots inhousing 14 andbushing 15 into a longitudinalslot 21 in shaft 10, thus looking the shaft 10-from turning. andtherefore preventingsteering of the automobile. The bolt 20. is springpressed to locking position by means of spring 22 and therefore tends atall times to assume this position. r

. Also in housing 16 is fixed a lock barrel 23, preferably of thecylinder type. This barrel 23 contains an inner cylinder 24 pro videdwith the usual tumblers adapted to be operated by a key so as to releasethe cylinder 24 and allow the latter to be rotated, and fixed tocylinderv 24; is a finger 25 operating against pin 26 on the bolt toretract the latter against spring 22 and out of slot 21, thuspermittingshaft 10 to be rotated. WVhen the bolt has been retracted asdescribed, it is retained in this position by the following means. I

.The bolt 20 is provided near its forward end with a slot 30 into which,when the bolt is retracted, is adapted to drop a pin or bolt 31 carriedon .a spring arm 32, the spring arm tending normally to cause engagementof pin 31 and the slot. Therefore vhen the cylinder 24 is rotated toretract the bolt 20, the latter is retained in unlocked position untilthe pin 31 is lifted from the slot.

It should be noted that the spring arm 32 is made. of what issknown asbi-metal, that is, it iscomposed of two metals of unequal expansioncharacteristics and adapted to bend upon change of temperature, and the1 slot 30. and spring arm 32 are so proportioned .and adjusted that,when the latter is heated to a selected temperature, the pin 31 islifted just out of the slot.

When the pin 31 drops into slot 30, the end 33 0f the spring arm32,makes a contact with the contact member 34 upon housing 16 while theother or'fixed end ofarm 32 is insulated from the housing16 as shown,the insulating means being, for example, a fibre bushing 35;surroundingthe bolt 36which secures arm 32 to the housing and to the outer end ofwhich is secured a lead wire 37.

Lead wire 37 is connected with one point 38 of a switch 39 solocatedwith respect to the drivers seat 40 and so connected thereto, that whenthe driver is in position to drive, the

switch is open and the arm 41 thereof is off one way is illustrated inFig. 3. In this figure, a rod 45 is shown as extending from the" uppersurface of cushion 40 to the switch arm so that depression of thecushion opens the switch.

This switch 39 is adapted tov complete a circuit from one pole ofabattery 46 through lead 37, arm 32, contact 34, and tog-round, whilethe other grounded..-

When, therefore, the bolt 20is being held in retracted position by thepin 31 in slot 30, I

V and the driver leaves his position, theicircuit mentioned is completedby the closing of the switch 39. The passage o tcurrentthen heats thespring arm 32 which bends under the heating and draws the pin 31 fromthe slot 30, allowing the bolt 20 to be spring'pr'essed tolockingposition.

It is preferred to: use this heating of: arm 32" and the consequent lagin operation over a magnetic or other instantaneously operating'devic'e-as'it may be adjusted to operate with a; lag ot any'suitableduration. If an instantaneous device is used, the jolting of rough-roadsmight besufficient to bouncethe moved toward". the shaftlO, thepin 31 isquickly. thrust outwardly'by the cam piece 50 and the "contact between33 andv 3ft: as quickly broken; This breaking of the-circuit also allowsarm: 32' tocool' and become 'set" for thenext operationas asprihgarm;

Another feature: of the present device is means'by which-it becomesimpossiblefor'the operator toleave his key in thelock a'nd'tliusrenderthe device ineffective. I

This-means-consi'sts of a plungertlO-entering the rear of cylinderQtandsecured to disc 61 slidablymounted-upon twoguide rods 62 secured inthe rear end otcylinderfi i. 'At their other ends'these rods 62 ar'esecuredina -disc'63 rotatably mounted in a wall of housing 16i-Thedisctil is pressed toward the 'cylinder 24 by a spiral spring 65acting against disc 61 and a-wallofhousing 16.- This spring isalso-securedfrom turning on either the disc 61 or the wall and thusserves two purposes. It serves to operate'the plunger 'and" also servesto return the cylinderQlt'o'rest posi tion. When thekey is insertedint'he'cylin 'd'er, it pushes back the plunger. The cylind'er is'tlienrotatedtoretract bolt 20. After these operations have been completed thespring will first" return the cylinder 24% rest positionand" then ejectthe-key.\

pole of the battery is also Having now described the invention and,

the preferred form of embodiment thereof, it is to be understood thatsaid invention' i's not to be limited tothe precise details describedand shown but only by the scope of theclaims which-follow. j

'We*cIaim':--

locking device e reb l see rr i e abe fi ada ted tolock said element,key operated means to retract said bolt to unlocked position, means.toaretainsaid bolt in the latterposition and means to release'saidretaining means, said releasingmeans'bemg adapted to be put intooperatlon by the act of the driver mov ng from-driving position 2. Alocking device for 'a-cont-rol element 7 of an automoblle comprising;meansforrendering said element inoperable, said means being adaptedto bekey'operated to unlocked 1 condition, means for 'ma int ainingithe firstfor a control element mentioned means in unlocked'condition; andheatcontroll'ed means'for releasmgsaldmamtaining means.-

of an automobilecomprising means for'rendering said element inoperable,sa1dm'ea11s 3'. A locking device'fo'racontrolelement being adapted to bekey operated to unlock'ed condition, means for maintaining the firstmentioned means in unlockedcondition, and thermo-electric controlledmeans;- for releas mg sald maintaining means;-

41 A locking device for a utomobilescomprising a slottedcontrol elementfor tlie au tomobile, a spring actuated bolt a'd apted to enter saidslot to prevent operation oftheelement,1the* bolt being itself" slotted,a pin adapted-to enter the; slot in' said bolt to p'r'e vent said boltentering said slotted element;

and automatic means adapted towithdraw said pin from said bolt-1 5. Alocking device for automobiles com p g & slotted control elementfor theautomobile; Spring u ted: boleadapted "to enter saidslo't to preventoperation/of the element,-the bolt beingitseltslotted, aplin adapted toenter the slot in said bolt to'lpre vent said boltlock i-ng saidelement,an'dmeans adapted'to withdraw saidzpimfromzsaidibolt, saidmeansi comprising a bi-metalli'c strip carrying saidpin and means-forheatingzsaid strip. '7 I I 6. A locking; device for automobilescomprisingra slotted' controlelement-for the auto mobile, aspringactuated bolt adapted to en ter said slot to prevent operation ofthe:ele-

ment, the bolt. being. itself slotted, a pin I adaptedto enter the.slotin said bolt topmvent s'aidbol't locking said element, and meansadapted to withdraw said pinfro' saidbolt, said means comprising a' bim'etallic' strip carryingfsaidpin' and means w'hereby an electriccurrent may be'pas'sed'through said strip" to heat the same andtliereby: distort it sufiiciently'tO WitIidraWthe 'pinL 7. In a lockingdevice fof a control ele ,ment of an automobile, heat responsive meansfor maintaining said device in unlocked con dltlon, electric heatlmeans'for' said heat responsive means, an a switch for controlof theautomobile.

ling the'electric means operable to close the circuit upon the vacationof the drivers seat GEORGE JACOBS.

' BENJAMIN H. KAUFMANN.

